Girl Scout World Thinking Day

(this isn't recent information!)
The Thinking Day I remember is from the 80s - :
Ireland - we learned a simple Irish jig and our item (we sold them back then - don't know if that still happens) - was stationary with little shamrock stamps as decorations.
Greece - Greek Hat dance (don't remember that item, but maybe Greek food that is easy to make)
Mexico - La cucaracha - I remember making the little 'snappy' sounds for the dance with walnut shells that we could attach to our fingers - I think maybe with elastic?

My troop is preparing for Thinking Day right now! Our Service Unit put all the countries in a hat, and each troop leader drew three. The leaders took the three countries to their troop to vote on, and returned the other two to the hat (or three, if they didn't like any, and they redrew). It took about a month using this method, for all the troops to pick their countries, since not everyone was able to draw at once. Last year, we did Malta, this year we are doing Ireland (the other countries we drew - and decided against - this year were Lesotho and the Netherlands Antilles).

We have a large Service Unit, so our troops aren't doing performances or games. We simply don't have a place willing to let us do it, that is big enough for all of that.

We DO need to have:
-a flag, either homemade or store-bought - there will be a "parade of flags" at the event
-a food item to share (a challenge, since we are expecting about 200 scouts)
-swaps (again, about 200)
-a display with facts and illustrations about our country, including some information about the Girl Scouts/Girl Guides. Our Service Unit is also going to give us a fact that MUST be included on the display - they are going to do a "scavenger hunt" that will require the girls to actually READ the displays, or ask questions, to complete
-optional additions include a craft, costumes, and display items that represent the country

Technically, I think the display is also supposed to include something relating the country to the theme of Thinking Day - but our troop is not going to attempt that. The theme this year is "Child and Maternal Health - Together We Can Save Children's Lives." I think it's supposed to talk about disease, water quality, hunger, and that sort of thing, but kind of heavy for our girls. (We're only Daisies).

Last year, the troops also had a to have a stamp that represented the country, and each girl was issued a "passport book," to have stamped at each booth she visited. But this year, the passport books are going to be made of felt, for the girls to pin their swaps in.

Also, two of the troops did photo booths - one allowed people to take their own pictures in front of a diorama, but the other (Egypt) made a life-size papier-mache mummy, and for a small fee, took photographs of people posing with the mummy, which the leader printed and took to the next service unit meeting to be distributed. Clever fundraiser.

This year, the girls are going to have one service-unit wide craft, where each girl will decorate a piece of paper for a giant paper chain. Every troop will send two girls to help hold their part of the chain, and it will go around the room - symbolic of girl scouts linked all over the world. Kind of cool.

Hi
all the troops I've been in or helped with.. this is how it usually was done.
Each troop,. or if a large troop; by patrols too, picked a country. Then they provided some information about the country's scout program (guides, or scouts), the country itself, decorated with the country's flag and colors. and often it included a small snack to share.
& as Rebecca mentioned - sometimes there was a dance to share, a skit, or a music played from the country.
~ have fun ~
marg.

My troop has participated in several. We have covered France, Newfoundland, and Australia. As a troop the girls researched the scouts and their history in that country, interesting and little know facts about the country and prepared a food item that locals might eat. Oh and SWAPS, you can't forget those. Some troops prepare them ahead of time, others incorporate them into a small crafts that can be done at the event. A great site for recipes from around the world is http://www.recipesource.com. Just plug in the country and go from there. If you Google Girl Scout Swaps, tons of stuff comes up.